Friday, March 13, 2015

Movie Review: Chappie

If there's one movie I'll go hard for in this first quarter of 2015, it's Chappie. There really is no way you shouldn't like this movie, unless you're a weirdo who isn't into robots. I happen to be a weirdo who is into robots. Mind you, #thehubs bought me robot designed socks recently; I love to sleep in my Transformers pajamas, and I have a Darth Vader laptop bag -- just saying. But anyway, let's get on with the review!

Chappie is a movie about a police force run by a weapons company in Johannesburg, South Africa that is now patrolled by scout robots to help keep crime at bay. I've been to Jo-burg, so I can attest to the need for a robotic police force void of corruption. But I digress -- the creator of the robots comes up with a way to make them sentient beings. He steals a rejected one and implants this new artificial intelligence into him. This robot, Chappie, portrays human behavior as he learns words, mimics the actions of his friends, and tries to figure out right from wrong. The weapons company gets wind of Chappie's consciousness and takes it upon themselves to correct this as they see him as a threat to mankind.

The first half of the film is a total blast. Watching Chappie pick up mannerisms is really what separates this sci-fi robot movie from many of the rest. You laugh at the joy he gets from taking his first car ride; you tear up at the pain he feels when encountering dangers in the real world. You feel for him and he makes you want to be his friend at the same time. But the second half of the movie has a couple hitches that keep Chappie from getting all 5 hearts. Some of the interaction among the people seems a bit contrived, and in a world where you can make a robot 100% conscious, it seems like certain things were made difficult to push the film along when they totally could have been a lot easier.

Chappie comes from the mind of Neill Blomkamp (who brought us District 9and Elysium). The robot is beautifully voiced by Sharlto Copley (also from both of those movies), who brings a child-like wonder to the character that makes the movie a fun ride. Hugh Jackman -- complete with the craziest haircut ever -- is the antagonist in this film, which is definitely a step out of his trademark roles. Dev Patel plays Chappie's creator. And the two characters who essentially play Chappie's "parents" are portrayed by a South African rap-rave group called Die Antwoord. Once you know that, their crazy sense of style makes a lot more sense.